The kitchen doesn't have to be closed & other dieting tips.

Change Your Lifestyle. If you think you'll just "diet" until the weight comes off, then you're setting yourself up for failure. Losing all the weight you want and keeping it off requires a lifestyle change. Stop bringing home the soda's and cupcakes and start a regular workout routine. If you really want to lose the weight and keep it off, it's going to require a change in your life.

Start a Workout Routine. You've heard it before, it only takes 30 minutes a day to get your metabolism into a higher gear and start burning more calories. You can even break that 30 minutes up into two 15 minute routines or three 10 minute routines!

Eat Smaller Meals More Often. Smaller meals help keep your metabolism charged and helps keep you from getting hungry.

Start Your Day Off with Water. Water is an important ingredient to help keep your metabolism up. Water also helps prevent you from becoming hungry.

Drink Cold Water. Your body will have to warm the cold water up before it can use it. This causes the body to use more energy, more energy use equals more calories burned.

Use Smaller Plates & Bowls. You won't be as tempted to eat large portions with smaller plates & bowls plus you'll feel that your plate is full (which it will be) and that you're not missing out on a larger meal.

Don't Eat after 7 O'Clock in the Evening. You don't want your body storing fat while you sleep. If you get hungry after 7, drink some cold water or tea. Not only will it help curb your hunger, it will help flush your system.

Eat Carbs Early, Protein Later. I try to eat the majority of my carbs early in the day so that my body can be burning them off. I try and eat more protein for the afternoon and evening meals.

Park Further From the Store Entrance. You'll walk further and burn a few more calories doing it. When you're into "Calorie Burn Mode", every calorie burned helps.

Grocery Shop After Eating, Not Before. Hungry people buy more stuff plus more foods that are not healthy for them. Shop on a full stomach.

Make a Grocery List and Stick To It. Shopping by using the list in your head can lead to disaster. Write a list and stick to it and you'll be less likely to pick up that box of Donuts that are calling your name.

James Taylor Says it Best!

A & I, not the A that I am married to, but the one I have known for well over 17 years is my best friend! I noticed she recently did a comparison blog on her site compairing best friend relationships among us and her triplets. I could draw the Venn Diagram in my head of what it looks like, (Ok, now taking the teacher hat off...) but to describe how it feels is beyond the imagination. I never had the chance of being a sister before meeting her. She is an amazing person who is admired, loved and cared about. We sometimes joke and imagine what life would be like if our husbands DIDN'T get along. I guess the true answer would be that we'd really miss those guys. haha.
"Winter, Spring, Summer and Fall, all you have to do is call, and I'd be there, if you need a friend."

2 Greys are better than 1

If you don't know already, Sedona is my #1 pet. HOWEVER...One thing to know about Greyhounds is that you can never have just one. Now I know that is the old saying for potato chips and pets ARE a lot more expensive to have, but I know this is something I have put into my mind for a while now.
The hard part... Getting A. to agree with me. I believe that life for a pet is better when they have someone to pass the time with. Even if it is just lying around all day on a pillow waiting for A & I to get home. I have learned this from my mom who lives in AZ. with my stepfather and their two (SEE ABOVE) gorgeous Vizsla "girls." Thats what my mom calls them. And every time I call her, she just has to put them on the phone to hear my voice. Ok. Getting back on track. I would love a female Grey this time. And secretly, I'll let you in on something... As Sedona gets older (10 this April 1) ((Sorry can't do the doggie math... )) I start worrying about losing him.
Some may say it is a bit selfish, but I like to befriend those who understand. (And moms always do!!!)

Educate Yourself!!

Today I read an article in my People magazine on a family that has six children ages 3-14 with ASD. AKA : Autism Spectrum Disorder. I am amazed with their story and to see the strength and love that the parents have for their children is phonominal . I especially LOVED how they said they would have had their children even if they previously knew they would be born autistic. As a teacher for children with special needs I found this story uplifting and plan on sharing it with my teaching team. Check out their BLOG: http://www.autismbitestheblog.blogspot.com/

April is Autism awareness month!!

Ban Greyhound Racing!!!!

1.) Race dogs live in crates or pens an average of 20 hours per day. Pens are for the most part not climate controlled and the dogs are subject to weather extremes and the elements. Pens and kennels have been found to be squalid.

2.) Even with the greyhound rescue groups, greyhounds continue to be euthanized simply because they cannot run fast enough or have outlived their racing usefulness. This happens at 3½ to 4 years of age, when a companion greyhound can live to be 13 years old.

3.) Many more greyhounds are bred than are actually used for racing; puppies are culled, which is just a nice word for killed off, if they do not appear to have racing potential.

4.) Many times the dogs endure inhumane treatment with no real professional veterinary care and very little human contact.

5.) Greyhounds are very prone to injury and greyhound racing needs to have stronger regulations to ensure proper and professional care of injured animals.

6.) Small animals such as rabbits are used as live bail during practice sessions and are maimed and killed. The argument that this is necessary because it enhances the greyhounds “taste for blood” is totally invalid as greyhounds are sight oriented in hunting. They will chase moving objects; they are not motivated by the scent of blood.

7.) In the US greyhound racing is not governed by the Federal Animal Welfare Act, which is enforced by the United States Department of Agriculture. There are regulations in some countries such as the Australian Greyhound and Harness Racing Regulatory Authority, but unregulated tracks still persist.

8.) In 2000 the Wall Street Journal reported on a disreputable greyhound racing track that was under criticism from the neighborhood. When neighbors attempted to have the track shutdown the owners greatly inflated the number of employees, citing that a shutdown would send all these people out on the streets looking for work. Since there is no regulating body for greyhound racing in the US, there was no way to know if these numbers were true. It was only through investigation by the newspaper that they discovered the owners were lying.

9.) By regulating greyhound racing, greyhounds will be registered; coming under the protection of Animal Welfare and recording of ownership and transfer will be enforced. However unregulated tracks will still exist.

10) Current regulations for greyhound racing are applied only to the gambling aspect of the track and need to be applied equally to the welfare and oversight of the animals.

Greyhound Rescue... Make It Your New Years Resolution.

You can never have just one... AKA: A 45 MPH couch potato.
We adopted Forbes LDC also know as Ice over four years ago. A and I had just gotten married, had a house with a yard and wanted something to share it with us. We, ok, I did a lot of research online and at the library on Greyhounds. I heard so many things about them in the past and A and I talked about getting one while we were still dating in college.
We finally decided to do it and adopted a male, 75 pound sweetie from a local greyhound rescue agency. Besides get a fence for the yard, one of the first things we did was change his name. Some may wonder how or why one wold do that, but if you know anything about the "sport" of Greyhond racing, you too would want to remove anything about their past from them.
Upon adoption, we were presented with the newest challenge in Sedona's life which was learning life outside of a cage. We had to teach him about steps, sliding glass doors, mirrors, and more. To this day we stil come across obsticals that we never thought about teaching him. All the training was worth it, because the hard part of house training was already done by the fostering home that took him right from the track and ready for adoption.
Now that we have moved into a larger home, I would love to adopt another grey. They are addicting!!! Our neighbors fell in love with Sedona and adopted one a few months ago and are thinking of adopting a new one already.
Like I said in the beginning, You can never have just one!!

Greyhound info:
http://www.greyhoundpets.org/

Popeye would be so proud...

This dieting thing has done one thing so far and that is making me one with the food lables. Today at the grocery store I couldn't help but look at the nutritional info on every single thing I picked up.

I was a little disappointed with the diet frozen meals which I thought were a bit expensive, but worth it when I don't feel up to prepairing the night before for lunch. One brand was on sale and looked pretty good, however the saying, "Don't judge a book by it's cover" seemed to pop into my head at THE SAME EXACT TIME. As I turned the little freezing box around in my hand I was amazed by how NOT "diet" the meals were cracked up to be. I ended up buying two family sized bags of frozen leaf spinach and was amazed by how good it was for you. (0 fat, 3 grams of carbs and about 30 calories) per serving.
Looks like I'll be eating lots of it until I can no longer look at it anymore......